Cox’s Bazar
Most Popular Cox’s Bazar Beaches Considering Scenic Beauty and Recreation
Cox’s Bazar is a beautiful coastal town in Bangladesh. It is one of the longest sea beaches in Asia. Cox's Bazar has emerged as an attractive tourist destination by virtue of its enchanting natural beauty, sandy beaches, marine drive, hill tracts, local cuisine, as well as various activities such as parasailing, jet skiing, horse riding, etc. Cox’s Bazar boasts a variety of stunning beach areas. Let’s explore some of the most affordable sea beaches in Cox’s Bazar.
8 Popular Beaches in Cox’s Bazar
Patuartek Beach
Located in Cox's Bazar, Patuartek is a serene and peaceful beach that offers a unique experience to visitors. The beach offers a stunning view, with green hills on one side and a wide blue sea on the other.
4 ARSA operatives held with huge cache of arms in Cox’s Bazar
Armed Police Battalion (APBN) detained four members of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) with a huge amount of arms and ammos in Ukhiya upazila of Cox’s Bazar on Friday morning.
The detainees, identified as Md Jobayer, 20, Nur Mohammad, 25, Jamila Begum, 48 and Bibi, 16, are residents of different blocks of the Rohingya camps in the upazila.
According to an APBN media release signed by Syed Harunur Rashid, commander of 14-APBN, the battalion conducted a drive at block G in camp No.7 on information that 10 to 15 ARSA members including terrorist Chhamiuddin were staying there.
Read more: 6 ARSA members arrested in Cox’s Bazar
Sensing the presence of the law enforcers, the miscreants allegedly opened fire on the APBN members forcing them to retaliate with bullets, it said, adding that a terrorist sustained bullet injuries in the incident.
As a consequence of the gunfight, the APBN members also conducted another drive at block C in camp No.5 when they came to know that the ARSA operatives including Chhamiuddin were staying there.
Though terrorists including Chhamiuddin managed to flee the scene , sensing the presence of the law enforcers, the four people including the bullet-hit one were detained with the arms.
Four locally-made one-shooter guns, 30 rounds of bullets of Chinese rifle, 27 rounds of pistol bullets, five cartridges of shotgun, three blank magazines, four walkie talkies, five mobile phone sets and one knife were recovered from the house, according to the APBN.
A process was underway to file a case against them in this connection at the local police station, it added.
Read more: Suspected ARSA commander killed in ‘gunfight’ at Rohingya camp: APBN
Biggest haul of crystal meth seized in Cox’s Bazar: BGB
Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) seized 21 kg of crystal methamphetamine (crystal meth or ice) from Ukhiya upazila of Cox’s Bazar early Wednesday.
A team of BGB 34 battalion arrested three people with the drug worth Tk 100 crore from Balukhali cyclone shelter area of the upazila, said Lt Col Saiful Islam Chowdhury, chief of the battalion.
This is the biggest ever consignment of crystal meth seized in the country, according to a press release sent by the force.
Also Read: Myanmar national among 3 held with Crystal meth, Yaba pills in Teknaf
The arrestees are Bujuche Mia, 51, Md Ismail, 23, and Syedul Bashar, 40.
Tipped off that a drug consignment from Myanmar was being smuggled into Bangladesh, the BGB team conducted the drive.
The drugs will be destroyed later, Saiful Islam said.
Legal action will be taken in this regard, he added.
10 bodies recovered from Cox’s Bazar’ trawler: prime accused among 2 arrested, 64 sued
Two people including the prime accused on Tuesday were arrested in connection with the recovery of 10 bodies from a fishing trawler in the coastal area of the Bay of Bengal in Cox’s Bazar on Sunday.
The arrestees are prime accused Baitta Kamal and No.4 accused Karim Sikdar.
Md Mahfuzul Islam, superintendent of police (SP) of the district, said they arrested the duo from Maheshkhali’s Matarbari and adjoining area on Tuesday.
During the primary interrogation, the arrestees admitted that they were involved with the killing of the 10 fishermen, the SP claimed.
The arrestees will be produced before a court with a prayer for remand for unveiling more information about the sensational incident, the SP said.
Earlier, Rokeya Akter, wife of one of the victims Shamsul Islam, filed a murder case accusing four identified individuals including the duo and 60 unidentified ones at Cox’s Bazar Sadar police station on Monday.
Asked whether all the victims were pirates, he said, “It is not clear yet now, however deceased Shamsul Islam and Nurul Kabir were accused of drugs and robbery cases respectively.”
Read more: 10 bodies recovered from fishing trawler in Cox’s Bazar
Half-composed bodies of 10 people were recovered from the fishing trawler from Nazira point of Cox's Bazar sea beach on Sunday.
The fishing trawler was towed to the shore by unidentified people. The trawler went missing two to three weeks ago. The trawler was caught in the net of another fishing trawler, which subsequently pulled it to Sonadia channel in Maheshkhali.
Among them were Shamsul Alam, 23; Saiful Islam, 18; Sawkat Ullah, 18; Osman Gani, 17; Saifullah, 23; Parvez Musharraf, 14; Nurul Kabir, 28; Saiful Islam, 34; Mohammad Shahjahan, 35; and Tarek Zia, 25.
The bodies were sent to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsies later.
Once open, Matarbari deep sea port will serve 3 billion people of Bangladesh and the region
Matarbari could become a regional commercial hub after the deep sea port opens. It will be used as a transshipment port. After Chittagong port, Matarbari will also be a lifeline of the economy.
The Matarbari deep sea port will serve about 3 billion people of the region, including Bangladesh. Once fully operational, the port will contribute two to three percent of the country’s GDP, State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury told UNB.
The deep sea port is now visible. If work continues at this pace, Matarbari deep sea port could be operational from 2026. Construction of the jetty and container yard will start by July. A large number of feeder vessels will come to this port. Money and time will be saved. It will have a great impact on the economy, said the state minister for shipping.
He said the port is being constructed on 1,031 acres of land at Matarbari Dhalghat area of Maheshkhali in Cox’s Bazar. With the construction of the deep sea port, container ships with a capacity of 8,200 TEU will be able to anchor there.
Read more: Operation of Matarbari deep sea port to start in 2026: state minister
At present, it takes 45 days to send a consignment of goods from Bangladesh to the United States. Once Matarbari deep sea port is opened, it will reach the designated destination directly in just 23 days, the state minister said. Bangladeshi consignments will no longer have to wait at the ports of Singapore, Colombo and Malaysia.
According to the Chittagong Port Authority, commercial activities at Matarbari deep sea port are expected to start in full swing in 2026. But already over the last two years, 112 cargo ships have arrived at the port. Tk 6.84 crore has been collected from these ships. All equipment for power plant has come through Matarbari port. Due to the depth, any large commercial ship will be able to anchor at this port and there are all kinds of facilities for loading and unloading.
Matarbari is 34 nautical miles from Chittagong port. It takes two-three hours to reach by ship. Its distance by road is about 112 km. A 27 km road is being constructed from Chakaria in Cox’s Bazar to Matarbari Dhalghat. Meanwhile, land acquisition for the construction of roads and port has been completed.
The channel built for the port is 250 meters wide, 18.5 meters deep and 14.3 meters long.
Read More: Ambassador Lee visits Matarbari Coal-powered Plant to observe South Korean company’s construction work
The detailed design of the project has been completed. Besides, contractors are being appointed for the construction of the jetty, collection of ship handling equipment and the purchase of tug boats.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will formally inaugurate the construction work of the project in the middle of this year.
Chittagong Port Authority Chairman Rear Admiral M Shahjahan told UNB that Matarbari’s distance from Chattogram by sea is 34 nautical miles, from Payra port it’s 190 nautical miles, and from Mongla port it’s 240 nautical miles. Therefore, goods from the mother vessel (large container ship) in Matarbari can be transported to other ports by road and sea in a short time.
He also said at present, ships with a draft of only 9.5 metres can berth in the jetties of Chittagong port. However, recently a ship with 10-metre draft has been berthed there. But these ships can carry 800 to a maximum of 2400 TEU containers. A mother vessel has a capacity of 8,000 to 10,000 TEU. Once Matarbari deep sea port opens, container ships with a capacity of over 8,000 TEU will be able to anchor.
Read More: Operation of Matarbari deep sea port to start in 2026: state minister
The state minister for shipping said the Matarbari Port Development Project has been taken up at an estimated cost of Tk 17,777.20 crore to set up the country’s first and only deep sea port. The duration of this project is till December 31, 2026. After the approval of the project, the implementation process was started.
He also said the construction of the 14.30 km long approach channel with a length of 350 metres and a depth of 16 metres has been completed for the construction of the deep sea port. Besides, the construction of 2,150 metre long breakwater on the north side of the approach channel and 670-metre-long breakwater on the southern side has been completed. At present, tenders have been invited in three packages for the construction of a 460 metre long container jetty and a 300 metre long multipurpose jetty and construction of all port facilities, including container yards.
According to project sources, Matarbari port road is being constructed in three phases. A 27 km road from Matarbari to Fasiakhali in Chakaria will be constructed and it will be connected to the Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar four-lane highway. The construction period of the road has been fixed from January 2020 to December 2026. If this road is completed, goods can be transported to any place in the country by road.
Read More: Govt positive about Singapore company's 400MW Matarbari solar power plant proposal: Nasrul
Rohingya leader shot dead in Cox’s Bazar
A Rohingya leader, locally known as ‘head majhi’, was shot dead by unidentified miscreants at Ukhiya Rohingya camp here on Wednesday morning.
The deceased was identified as Syed Hossain, aka Kala Bodda, a resident and head majhi of Ukhiya’s Kutupalong 2- east camp.
Syed Harunur Rashid, Armed Police Battalion's (APBn) Deputy Inspector General said, Syed Hossain was shot dead when he came out of his house in the morning.
Read more: Rohingya leader shot, stabbed to death in Cox’s Bazar
Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (Arsa) members might have shot him, he said.
The body was sent to the district sadar hospital after recovery, said the DIG.
"Efforts are on to arrest those involved in the murder," he added.
US announces $26m more in assistance for Rohingyas, host communities
The United States has announced around USD 26 million in additional humanitarian assistance for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and the region, for those in Myanmar affected by the ongoing violence, and for the communities hosting refugees from the country.
“With this new funding, our total assistance for those affected by the Rakhine State and Rohingya crisis has reached nearly $2.1 billion since August of 2017, when over 740,000 Rohingya were forced to flee to safety in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh,” US Department of State Spokesperson Ned Price said in a regular media briefing in Washington.
This new funding would allow USA’s humanitarian partners to continue providing lifesaving assistance to affected communities on both sides of the Myanmar-Bangladesh border, including nearly 980,000 Rohingya refugees hosted by Bangladesh, some 740,000 of whom arrived in the months following August 2017 when they were forced to flee genocide, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing, and other horrific atrocities and abuses perpetrated by Myanmar’s military in Rakhine State, he said.
Also Read: Rohingya repatriation top priority in JRP 2023, US$ 876m sought
This funding will also provide assistance to nearly 540,000 Bangladeshi host community members and to others affected by ongoing violence in Myanmar.
The United States appreciated the generosity of the Government of Bangladesh and other nations and the hospitality of the Bangladeshi people in hosting Rohingya refugees, especially now that “we are in the sixth year of this protracted crisis,” he added.
“We remain committed to working towards durable solutions to the crisis, and we’ll continue to partner with the Government of Bangladesh, the Rohingya community, host communities, and people inside Burma to ensure a coordinated and well-supported response to this humanitarian crisis,” Ned Price said.
The international community, he said, must remain steadfast in their commitment to alleviating the suffering of the world’s most vulnerable people, including through the Rohingya crisis response.
Also Read: JRP 2023 launched: IOM in $125m appeal for Rohingyas, hosts.
Reduction in WFP assistance could drive up crimes, radicalization in Rohingya camps: ARSPH
The Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights (ARSPH), a group based in Cox’s Bazar refugee camps, has expressed deep concerns about the recent announcement that the World Food Programme (WFP) will have to reduce its general food assistance voucher value from USD 12 to USD 10 per person per month, due to a USD 125 million funding shortfall.
“As refugees living in the camp, we know first-hand how difficult it is to survive on even $12 per month, and this reduction is likely to have a devastating impact on the already dire situation of our community. It is hard to fathom how we are going to survive on $10 per month when even with $12 per month, people are struggling to make ends meet,” reads a press release signed by Abdur Rahim, vice-chairman of ARSPH.
Also Read: UN experts for immediate funding to avert food ration cuts for Rohingyas
The reduction of food assistance is likely to lead to a host of new challenges, including extortion, prostitution, human trafficking, drug trafficking, and radicalization, noted the release, adding, “The desperation of our people will create an environment in which these activities thrive, leaving the most vulnerable members of our community at great risk.”
The group pleaded the international community to take urgent action to ensure that the ration sizes do not get cut.
“It is unacceptable that we, as refugees, are being forced to bear the burden of a funding shortfall that is not of our making. The international community must take responsibility for ensuring that we receive the assistance we need to survive,” it said.
Read More: South Korea reaffirms its support for ultimate resolution of Rohingya crisis
On behalf of the Rohingya community, they urged the World Food Programme and other humanitarian organizations to find alternative sources of funding to make up for the shortfall.
“We call on donor countries to increase their contributions to the Rohingya crisis. Our lives depend on it, and we implore the international community not to turn a blind eye to our plight,” it added.
Man arrested from Ctg after bodies of wife, daughter found in Cox’s Bazar hotel
Tourist police early today arrested a man from Chattogram city after the bodies of his wife and daughter were found in a Cox’s Bazar hotel room on Friday noon.
The arrestee is Dulal Biswas from Banshkhali upazila of Chattogram.
Shaheen, an additional SP of Cox’s Bazar Tourist Police, said Dulal went into hiding soon after the bodies of his wife and daughter were found, and police arrested him from Chattogram city around 12am today.
Dulal is being interrogated, he said, adding that legal actions will be taken in this regard later.
Whereabouts of his two sons are not known yet, he said.
Earlier on Friday afternoon, police recovered the bodies of 35-year-old Suma Dey and her two-year-old daughter from Hotel Sea Alif in Cox’s Bazar.
Read more: Mother, daughter found dead at Cox's Bazar hotel
Police said the couple booked a room at the hotel on February 14 with their two sons and a daughter.
A hotel employee saw the door of the room open and found the bodies of the mother and daughter on the floor. Later, police recovered the bodies from the room after getting a call from the hotel.
Weather may remain dry today across the country: BMD
Weather may remain dry with temporary partly cloudy skies across the country, Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) said this morning (February 12, 2023).
Moderate to thick fog may occur at places over the river basins and light to moderate fog may occur elsewhere over the country -- from late night till tomorrow morning, said the regular bulletin of BMD.
Dhaka's air 4th most polluted in the world this morning
Night and day temperature may fall slightly over the country.
The lowest temperature in the country was recorded at 12.8 degrees Celsius in Srimangal in the 24 hours till 6 am today. The highest temperature was recorded at 32.2 degrees Celsius in Mongla and Cox’s Bazar.
Read More: Study: 15 million people live under threat of glacial floods